The Steadfast Tin Sousa
by actionman81
Summary: Daniel's bedtime story to his son Michael reveals Daniel's own worries and concerns in this thinly veiled fairy tale


1953

"Tell me a story" Michael Sousa tugged on Peggy's sleeve  
"Tonight, let's let Dad do that" Peggy smiled at her husband  
"Sure" Daniel sat down on the bed and lay his crutch against the edge of the footboard, "There was once a little boy, who had lots of toys, but the ones he loved most of all were his birthday tin soldiers. There were twelve, and each looked exactly like the other, except for one"  
"What was different about that one?" little Michael asked  
"He—he was missing one leg" Daniel explained, "The little boy loved his soldiers, and he would set them up in his room, and pretend that they were doing battle. He kept his favorite soldier, the special one, the one who wasn't like the others, right up at the front of the lines, because the boy thought that that soldier was the bravest"  
Michael listened with rapt attention, while his mother left the room to do other work. Not housework, however, special, SSR work.  
"Now, one night, when the boy was asleep, all his toys came alive. The soldiers hopped out of their box, and marched about. The other eleven stared at this tin soldier, the steadfast tin soldier. All the other soldiers thought that he wasn't as good as they were. They left him alone and went on with their marching, right across the floor."  
"Then what happened?"  
"Then, then while the other soldiers were marching, the tin soldier saw across the room a beautiful music box. It was open, and there was a gorgeous ballerina that was part of the music box, in the boy's room."  
"What did she do?"  
"Well, if you wound up the music box, the metal ballerina would spin and twirl across the mirrored surface of the box. She had a magnet in her foot, and could look like she was dancing"  
Michael sat awake with wide eyes. There was no sleep happening tonight  
Daniel sighed and went on, "But, there was a jack in the box, who would pop open and frighten the other toys. He wanted the ballerina for his own self. He bounced up and stared at the tin soldier, who stared at the ballerina."  
Michael clutched his teddy bear tight  
"The jack in the box laughed at the tin soldier, and said that the tin soldier was weak, and that the other soldiers saw him as broken, and half a man. The jack in the box said that he knew that the tin soldier loved the music box ballerina, but that she would never love him, and would only feel pity towards him"  
Michael stared at his father with awe filled eyes, as he listened to the story  
"The tin soldier wouldn't have any of that, so he took his metal bayonet and poked the jack in the box. The jack in the box got angry, and shoved the tin solder father across the floor, near the fireplace hearth. Then, the ballerina saw what was happening. Maybe she loved the tin soldier, too, but she hopped off her music box and stood next to the tin soldier, and poked the jack in the box and told him to stop troubling the toys"  
"She could do that?" Michael was amazed  
"Of course she could. She was metal, just like the tin soldier, so sure, she could fight right alongside him"  
"The jack in the box had had it, so with a mighty heave, and he still wanted the ballerina for himself, and he knew that if he could get rid of the tin soldier, the ballerina would be his. So he pushed the tin solder off the fireplace hearth. The tin soldier fell and rolled, and landed in the fireplace"  
"The ballerina saw this. She didn't cry. She got angry. The ballerina spun and spun, and kicked the jack in the box off the hearth and into the fire"  
Michael's eyes were as round and as large as saucers  
"Then, she leapt into the fire"  
"Did she get melted?" he was enthralled  
"No, she pulled the tin soldier out, but by then, they had both melted"  
"They were all gone?"  
"No, the metal had melted only a little, and they realized that their bases were now attached, so that they could finally be together, for always"  
"That was a great story, Daddy!"  
"It was" he smiled and pulled the covers over little Michael, "Now, be a good boy and get some sleep"  
Daniel looked back towards the door. Peggy must be deep in plans and strategies. He'd be out there to join her in a minute.  
Peggy leaned against the door frame. She'd been listening to every word


End file.
